People are freaking out about the flatness, that is all. All these wannabe designers are to blame really, too many people take the mockups seriously.

Please don't.

Look at the App Store itself, and you'll get an idea of the flatness (a majority of icons already have it, it has been a look that has been in the works since iOS4). iOS and OS X has changed gradually every version. They aren't going to overhaul it so it looks unrecognizable overnight. That's bad design right there, and we all know the consequences Microsoft is facing due to them doing that.

Been using the Mac since 1984 alongside Microsoft. I'm currently running Windows 7 on a separate drive in my Mac Pro and frankly the way things are displayed on the PC side are much more pleasing than the Mac interface. Apple still hasn't figured out how to scale objects on displays to be visually pleasing at the standard distance of 18~24 inches.

Regarding the flat interface, I actually liked my old Windows phone and I think the new Nokia-920 looks fantastic! Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn't have the infrastructure that Apple with iTunes has so I find most of its services utterly useless.

enough with the anti flat crap, have you downloaded google now, gmail or google maps? everyone is taking that route, but if apple makes it sure will suck eh? you can never please people!

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Agreed. I downloaded the updated Google Search to test out all the battery claims and it is very flat.

I think some of the issue is that iOS has never been flat and that seems like it would be jarring after we've gotten use to the fancy. Google started off with a flat and simple design way back in the day so it's just returning to its roots.

Then again we don't know that iOS is going flat or even flatter. It's all just rumors based on Jony Ive being involved and several quotes and misquotes about how he hates skeuomorphism. It's possible that all we will see is the removal of fluff like the paper tear or the moving shadows which serve no valid function and are just to look nifty

Either way, Apple really does need to give the iPhone an overhaul. Even the iPhone-5 is becoming somewhat dated compared to the competition. Sure, the iPhone infrastructure is much more functional than any other device out there but it needs a bit more screen real estate and a cleaner interface, flat or otherwise.

The Nokia 920 screen with the W8 interface is the most intuitive of anything I've seen, and it would be nice if Apple could come up with her own concept geared in that direction. Heck, now that 'Google Now' is on the iPhone, I see that as a good go-between until Apple wakes up!

Since when does flat = windows 8? Flat design has been around a lot longer than windows 8 (or ICS/Jellybean).

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In practical terms and in context to this thread, I would say since the Windows 7 Phone. Microsoft has the resources to make the W8 phone a formidable device, but they simply don't have the talent to manage a phone-booth with a handful of quarters.

In practical terms and in context to this thread, I would say since the Windows 7 Phone. Microsoft has the resources to make the W8 phone a formidable device, but they simply don't have the talent to manage a phone-booth with a handful of quarters.

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But really it's not about flat vs. non flat. It's about ugly vs. not ugly. The updated podcast app, the passbook app aren't really flat per say, but I think most would agree they're not ugly and certainly better than how they started out.

enough with the anti flat crap, have you downloaded google now, gmail or google maps? everyone is taking that route, but if apple makes it sure will suck eh? you can never please people!

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You can thank Larry Page the new CEO of Google for that. After Schdmit left Page wanted to redesign all the Google services with a flat design. Before Android 4, Android use to look like crap but now its a beautiful design that I have grown to love.

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